Clinical Information

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes help the immune system recognize and respond to foreign substances (such as viruses and bacteria). The HLA-B gene encodes a class 1 HLA molecule in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), which acts by presenting peptides to immune cells. There are more than 1500 different HLA-B alleles identified, one of which is the HLA-B*58:01 allele. The frequency of the HLA-B*58:01 allele varies with ethnicity, with a frequency of 10% to 17% in Han Chinese, 6% in Korean, 6% to 8% in Thai, and 3% to 6% in African American populations. This allele is present at a lower frequency (approximately 1%-2%) among the White and Hispanic populations.(1)

Allopurinol is a drug widely used for hyperuricemia-related diseases such as gout, Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, and recurrent urate kidney stones. Allopurinol has been associated with severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCAR), including drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms, toxic epidermal necrolysis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and allopurinol hypersensitivity syndrome (AHS). These reactions have a reported mortality rate of 20% to 25%. The HLA-B*58:01 allele is associated with a markedly elevated risk for SCAR/AHS.

Guidelines from the Clinical Pharmacogenomics Implementation Consortium recommend HLA-B*58:01 genotyping be performed when considering prescribing allopurinol, and that allopurinol should not be prescribed to patients who test positive for the allele due to the increased risk of SCAR.(2) In addition, the 2020 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Gout recommends testing for the HLA-B*58:01 allele prior to initiation of allopurinol in patients of Southeast Asian descent (eg, Han Chinese, Korean, Thai) and for African American patients.(3)